Equi Gold – Turmeric for Horses

An increasing number of horse owners are turning to turmeric as a supplement for their horses.

Turmeric has long been prevalent in Chinese herbal and Indian ayurverdic medicines as a powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant.  It is prescribed to people suffering from a wide range of conditions, including diarrhoea, respiratory infections, dermatitis, and even cancerous tumours.

The main active ingredient in Turmeric is curcumin, a compound found to have powerful anti-inflammatory effects. It is also a strong antioxidant, that is useful for soothing stiffness and pain, maintaining good digestion and alleviating skin conditions in people.

Turmeric is suitable for horses suffering from stiff joints and itchy skin conditions, as well as offering support to the digestive system.  There is plenty of anecdotal evidence from horsemen who feed it to provide support to horses whose joints are under stress.

“Older horses are more likely to have inflammatory conditions, and endocrine disorders most often occur in middle-aged horses. Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction, which results in the production of excessive amounts of pituitary-derived hormones, has been associated with oxidative stress in the pituitary gland. Inflammation also may play a role in the development of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), an endocrine disorder characterized by laminitis, insulin resistance or dysregulation, increased fat deposits in specific locations of the body or overall obesity. Because curcumin works as both an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, it seems plausible that it could have beneficial effects for horses with endocrine disease” ~ Heidi Banse, DVM, PhD, Louisiana State University.

Joint Health

Joint conditions are often chronic in nature and therefore become very difficult to manage effectively without serious side effects.  Long-term use of NSAIDs such as Bute puts stress on the digestive tract of horses.

Turmeric doesn’t interact with gut enzymes in the same way that pharmaceutical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) do, because it actually allows the gut-protecting enzyme (COX-2) to be maintained. In short, turmeric is able to give similar benefits as pharmaceutical solutions to joint pain, but without the associated gut disturbances and other negative side effects.

Benefits of Turmeric in Equine Nutrition

In addition to joint health, turmeric has been shown to be effective in the treatment in many other equine ailments, including:

• Gastric ulcers
• Melanomas / Sarcoids
• Allergies
• Assisting recovery from viruses and infections
• Wound healing
• Skin conditions
• Stabilising metabolic issues
• Compromised liver function by having a detoxifying effect

Please note: Turmeric should not be fed if your horse is currently being administered NSAIDs (such as Bute) or blood thinning medications. If you’re horse is on medication and you’re unsure of possible contraindications, it is important that you consult your veterinarian prior to feeding turmeric.

As with any feed, turmeric should be introduced to the horse’s diet slowly, built up gradually over the course of a week or two.

• Zack’s Tack carries an activated Turmeric feed supplement called Equi Gold. The trial pack comes in a 200 gm tub and sells for RM30.00.